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12/01/2010

International travelers may feel tired and forgetful for up to a month after returning to a normal schedule because jet-lag causes long term changes in the brain, a US study said Wednesday.

Similar brain disruptions could be experienced by anyone who works alternating night-day shifts or unusual schedules, said the study which is the first to look at long-term effects of such lifestyle changes on brain anatomy.

"What this says is that, whether you are a flight attendant, medical resident, or rotating shift worker, repeated disruption of circadian rhythms is likely going to have a long-term impact on your cognitive behavior and function," said Lance Kriegsfeld, associate professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley.

The researchers subjected female hamsters to six-hour changes in schedule -- similar to a New York to Paris flight -- twice a week for four weeks.

As expected, the harried hamsters had trouble learning simple tasks that other, more rested hamsters aced during the four-week period.

But more surprisingly, the learning problems persisted for a month after they settled back into a normal schedule.

Researchers say they were able to track the changes to a drop in neurons in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory.

"Compared to the hamsters in the control group, the jet-lagged hamsters had only half the number of new neurons in the hippocampus following the month long exposure to jet lag," said the study published in the journal PLOS One.

Researchers used hamsters because they have such precise circadian rhythms, driven by an internal, 24-hour clock that everyone possesses.

"They will produce eggs, or ovulate, every 96 hours to within a window of a few minutes," Kriegsfeld said.

Graduate student Erin Gibson pointed out that other studies have shown that people who experience regular jet-lag display memory loss and learning problems, "along with atrophy in the brain's temporal lobe, suggesting a possible hippocampal deficit.

The finding could have wider implications for shift workers and frequent long-distance travelers, who have already been found to suffer "decreased reaction times, higher incidences of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and cancer, and reduced fertility," the study said.

To ward off the effects, Kriegsfeld advises allowing one day of recovery for every one-hour time zone shift. Night shift workers should sleep in a dark, quiet room to adjust their bodies to their altered schedule.

11/26/2010

We should strive and try all ways to be innovative as this will help differentiate us from others. The creativity that we show will enable us to stand out from the crowd and shine. I am not saying we have to throw away old traditions but whatever that works for us from the old ways of thinking, we should absorb but whichever that is not beneficial and which will stand in the way of innovation, we should put it aside and not give it too much attention.

The world is changing and becoming more globalised. If we hang onto old ways of doing things, it will cause us to regress and not improve at all. We should be sharp and vigilant to do the 'right thing'. We have to open our minds up to receive new information and knowledge so we can stay connected with the rest of the world. In this way, one will be empowered to gain the competitive edge in any endeavour he embarks on and be able to gain success!:)

11/24/2010

Many innocent lives were lost on Monday due to a stampede event near the Diamond Island. There were about 400 people killed and another 350 injured according to the reports. It was all because of over-crowding on a bridge and lack of proper policing provided by the Cambodian authorities. There were rumours that boys who were trying to tease some girls shouted that the bridge was going to fall and that caused the widespread fear and chaos. If the police had controlled the number of people going onto the bridge, many lives could have been saved...Relatives that came to identify the bodies were distraught at seeing their loved ones dead... Nothing could bring the dead back to life... Let's hope that such a tragedy will not repeat in future and that the ruling authorities could learn from their mistakes....

06/28/2010

My family is back in Singapore for a holiday... It was a great reunion after months of separation... The people I missed and the food is something that I look forward to having... We headed to the nearby hawker centre with a great selection of food and fill our stomachs to our heart's content...The LANGUAGE that we greatly missed is once again ringing in our ears... We hear English or u call it SINGLISH with the 'ahs' and the 'lors' and the Mandarin that has practically not heard at all in the kingdom of Cambodia is now used so commonly in the public places here... I appreciate the cosmopolitan-ness of this land, the multicultures and the varied languages used here... the efficiency of the locals is commendable and it is what makes this country so advanced and developing fast to be among the top in the world ... anyway, I am very glad to be back home:)

06/09/2010

Here comes June. The month whereby the rainy season starts. For the past few days, it has been raining in the afternoon. The torrential rain can last up to two hours, stop for a few minutes and continue to rain. The rain can come abruptly even when sunshine is around and you can be caught unaware. However, the advantage of this is that plants can get watered and people can feel cooler because nevertheless it has been a few very hot Summer months. With this weather, it will be a breeze to walk outside without perspiring much. And I will not worry much about my child getting a heatstroke playing under the hot sun.

05/29/2010

2.Cook the macaroni in a big saucepan of boiling water till al dente, drain and return to the pan.

3.Heat milk until it is simmering. Melt 60g of butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually add in the hot milk. Return the pan to the heat and stir constantly until the sauce boils and thickens. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

4.Pour the sauce over the macaroni and stir in the Cheddar.

5.Grease a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish with the remaining butter and pour in the macaroni mixture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden.

05/21/2010

I was extremely touched by the act of a Cambodian gal who comes in daily to assist wth house-cleaning. She had taken the initiative to pick a few roses of the sweetest colour I have laid my eyes on and handed to me as a gift. The act itself was very sincere, considering that fact that it was done by a gal of barely nineteen years old. She had also obviously observed my love for flora and had gone out somewhere to find these flowers that will touch my heart. Thanks to her for her very kind act and the thought she put in :)